Will & Grace Story No 2: New Frontiers
by Tim66
Summary: As Grace recovers from her divorce and Karen recovers from her heart attack, the two realize that perhaps they are more than just friends.


DISCLAIMER. All Will & Grace characters belong to whomever created them, Im just borrowing them.

_AUTHORS NOTE. This story takes place in the same reality as my previous Will & Grace story, Matters of The Heart (you might want to read that story again to catch up on events). Six months have now passed since Karens heart attack, she is still living with Will and Grace. In this reality, Karen never met Lyle Finster. As with Matters of The Heart, this story is more dramatic in nature than your typical episode of Will & Grace. Enjoy the story._

It was early evening in Will and Grace's apartment, Will and Karen were watching television. As Karen looked on, she saw that Will kept glancing down at his watch. "Hey, Wilma, Grace is a big girl, she can take care of herself."

"I know that." Will replied. "However, this is only the fourth date she's been on since her marriage to Leo ended. I just hope it goes well. None of the others have."

"I know." Karen said softly.

"Grace really needs to get back on the horse." Will said. "I don't think she's gotten over Leo yet." He considered. _It took me ages to get Grace to start dating again. I hope I did the right thing_.

"Well I..." Karen began, but before she could continue, the front door opened and Grace walked in, alone. The sad look on Grace's face said it all.

"Gracie..." Will began, but Grace cut him off.

"I don't want to talk about it, Will." Grace said before heading to the bedroom she shared with Karen.

"I guess we can scratch this date off as well." Karen said slowly.

_Damn, I was hoping this date would go better than the others_. Will thought. _Poor Grace, I really wish I knew how to help her._

The next day at Grace's office was routine. When lunch hour arrived, Grace and Karen went on their usual walk. Since Karen had been given strict instructions to exercise regularly, in order to prevent another heart attack, Grace was going to make sure that Karen followed through. So the two women often took a walk around the block during lunch hour. It was on this walk that Karen finally asked Grace about her date of the previous night. "Was it that bad, Grace?"

"No, Joe was a perfect gentleman. He was really sweet." Grace replied.

"I see. So how come you were so sad when you came home last night?" Karen asked.

"Because, as I said, Joe was sweet, but I felt nothing." Grace said as the two women sat down on a park bench. "I tried to feel something for him, but I couldn't. It's like I'm just dead inside when it comes to romance now."

"Grace, I am so sorry." Karen said as she placed a comforting hand on Grace's shoulder. "Maybe Will shouldn't have pushed you into dating again if you weren't up to it."

"No, I don't blame Will." Grace said, shaking her head. "He was only trying to help me get over Leo the best way he could. I guess it's just proving harder than expected. I thought Leo was the one I was going to spend the rest of my life with and then it turns out I was wrong."

"I felt the same way about Stan." Karen replied. "I did love him, Grace. I just didn't show it most of the time. Love is funny, sometimes it catches fire like a rocket, but then it just kind of... Kind of fizzles out."

"Yeah, I guess you're right, Karen."

"However, Grace, you'll always have me if you need to talk to someone about this." Karen added.

"I guess I will." Grace said with a smile. _Funny, but just a year ago I wouldn't be so open with Karen. _ Grace thought to herself. _However, since the heart attack, she's changed. Okay, she still teases me about my taste in clothes, but, deep inside, Karen is much nicer and softer than the always drunk socialite she was before her heart attack. I like this new Karen!_

"Grace, are you okay?" Karen asked when she saw that Grace had fallen silent.

"I'm fine, Karen." Grace replied. "My mind just wandered for a few minutes."

"Say, I have an idea." Karen said suddenly. "Why don't we go to my cabin in Vermont this weekend, just the two of us. You might do well with a change of scenery."

"Well, okay." Grace said, after a second or two of silence. "It's not like I had anything else planned for this weekend. Let's do it."

Later, Grace and Karen had come home and informed Will of their plans to go to Vermont. "I think that's a great idea." Will said. "It might do you some good, Grace, to get out of the city for a few days."

"Karen said the exact same thing." Grace replied.

"It's amazing how we sometimes think alike, Will." Karen added.

"Yeah, I guess with you living with us these past six months, Karen, some of me was bound to rub off on you." Will replied.

"GREAT NEWS!" Jack said as he flew into the apartment before Karen could reply to Will. "You'll never guess what's happened to me!"

"Let me guess." Will said. "James Van Der Beek finally came out and declared his undying love for you."

"HA! HA! So funny I forgot to laugh." Jack replied sarcastically. "No, I've been offered the lead in an Off Broadway production of Peter Pan!"

"Uh, Jack, you do realize that the role of Peter Pan is usually played by a woman, don't you?" Grace asked.

"What's your point?" Jack replied.

"Well I... Oh never mind." Grace said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Besides, the casting director is a real hottie. Maybe I can get his phone number!" Jack added.

"Well I'm happy for you, Poodle." Karen said as she walked up and gave Jack a hug. "When does your play open?"

"This weekend." Jack replied.

"Oh, problem." Karen said. "Grace and I have made plans for this weekend. We're going to my cabin in Vermont."

"No problem." Jack said with a happy grin. "You can just ask Will to videotape the play for you. We can all watch it together when you get back."

"That's a great idea." Karen said.

"Now just a second here..." Will began.

"Come on, Will. You'll do it for us, won't you?" Grace asked.

"Oh, okay." Will said, seeing no way out of this. "This trip to Vermont, Grace, you wouldn't have room for one more, would you?"

"Sorry, Wilma, ladies only." Karen said and turned to Grace. "Let's go and see what clothes we can take with us." The two women headed for their shared bedroom.

"So, Jack, just how 'Off Broadway' is this play of yours?" Will said with a sigh.

"Well, now that you mention it..." Jack began.

_The cabin hasn't changed much_. Grace thought when she and Karen arrived at the cabin. They had left New York City on Friday at noon, to beat the rush hour traffic and had made it to Vermont in good time. Driver (Karen still couldn't remember the man's real name) had dropped the two women off at the cabin and would return for them on Monday.

"Here we are." Karen said as she led Grace into the cabin.

"I remember this place." Grace replied. In reality, the word "cabin" was an understatement, this place had all the comforts of home. "This place is great, Karen. Heck, we could move in and live here full time."

"That was my Stan." Karen said. "He may have had his flaws, but he knew how to treat me well." The two women proceeded to unload their supplies and staked claims to their respective bedrooms. By the time they were finished putting everything away, evening was beginning to set in.

"So what shall we have for dinner?" Grace asked. "Hamburgers? Hot Dogs?"

"How about a little of both." Karen replied. "Since I have to be careful about my meat intake, I figured a small mixture would be okay. I'll even cook it." One of the benefits of living with Will and Grace was that Karen had learned how to cook her own meals. It had been touch and go at first, Karen being used to having others cook for her, but with Will and Grace's help, she had gotten the hang of it. In fact, Karen now enjoyed cooking for herself, something she never would have imagined doing a year ago.

"Works for me." Grace said. The two women had a nice dinner, and that, along with the long drive, made them sleepy. Soon after, both Grace and Karen retired for the night.

Back in New York City, Will himself was having a quiet dinner of spaghetti and meat balls. Since Grace and Karen would be out of town all weekend, Will would have the apartment to himself and figured this would give him some nice alone time. He looked up as Jack came into the apartment. "Well, if it isn't Pan himself. Did you just get in from Never Never Land?"

"Now don't make fun of me, I need to be in my place." Jack said as he proceeded to sit at the table and help himself to some of the food.

"By all means, help yourself." Will said, rolling his eyes.

"Will, I am so excited." Jack said, once he had swallowed his helping of spaghetti. "I can just see my name alongside the greats that have played Peter Pan before me."

"Yeah, Mary Martin, Sandy Duncan, Jack McFarland. It's a match made in Heaven." said Will with sarcasm in his voice.

"Just you wait and see, Will, I'll be a smash."

"I can hardly wait." Will replied, rolling his eyes.

"The show is tomorrow afternoon at 2.00 PM." Jack said.

"Don't worry, Jack, I'll be there." Will said. "All I can say is that I hope this play works out for you, Jack."

The next morning, back in Vermont, Grace and Karen had risen early. As the day progressed, Karen noticed that Grace was smiling and laughing a lot more than she had been in recent months. _It looks like this is really what Grace needed_. Karen thought to herself. _I haven't seen her this happy in quiet a while now. This trip was a good idea._ As evening settled in again, Grace and Karen got a nice fire going in the fireplace and sat on the couch, listening to the fire pop and crackle. "Thank you, Karen, for doing this." Grace said. "This trip has really cheered me up."

"Aw, Grace, you don't have to thank me. I owe you one." Karen replied. "You did save my life, after all. You were the one who called 9-1-1 when I had my heart attack."

"Don't remind me." Grace said with a shudder. "I still have nightmares about that day, seeing you lying on my office floor, gasping for breath. When I think about..." she trailed off, unable to continue.

"Hey, I'm right here, Grace. I didn't die." Karen said with reassurance in her voice. "I have a special treat for us." With that, Karen got up and entered the pantry. Soon, she returned with a bottle of brandy and two glasses. "I think we have reason to toast this weekend, Grace. I have this bottle of fifty-year-old brandy to mark this occasion."

"Karen, you know you're not supposed to drink alcohol anymore." Grace pointed out.

"Oh come on, Grace. You know I've been taking pretty good care of myself." Karen replied as she opened the bottle. "Surely this one night won't kill me."

"No, I guess not." Grace said, nodding her head. "Fill 'er up." she said as she held up her glass and watched as Karen poured some brandy into it.

"So, what shall we toast about?" Karen asked, once she had filled her own glass up.

"I don't know." Grace replied.

"I got it." Karen said after a few seconds. "How about we toast to you and me."

"Okay, to the two of us." Grace replied. The two women clinked glasses and took a swig. Grace shuddered as she felt the brandy flow into her, but then a nice warm feeling began inside her. The two of them began to enjoy the brandy and soon both were feeling a little tipsy. "This is good stuff." Grace said.

"Well, Stan bought only the best brandy." Karen replied. "He was saving this bottle for our 20th Wedding Anniversary." a sad smile came over her face. "Since that's not gonna happen now, I figured we could have it to celebrate the two of us."

"You miss him, don't you, Karen."

"Yeah, I do." Karen replied. "I know that Stan and I had our problems, especially towards the end, but I still loved the big lug."

"I'm sure he loved you, Karen." Grace said as she put a reassuring hand on Karen's shoulder.

"I know he did, Grace, and he still does. He told me himself."

"Huh, I'm not following you, Karen."

"Well, Grace, what I'm about to tell you is something I haven't told anyone else, not even Jack or Rosario." Karen replied, took another sip of brandy, and then continued. "When I was in surgery, after my heart attack, I guess I had an out-of-body experience, or something like that. I found myself in a dark tunnel with a light at the end, I began to head for that light."

"Wow." Grace said as she sipped her own brandy. "I've heard of these experiences."

"Anyway, before I could go into that light, Stan appeared." Karen went on. "He asked me to forgive him for all the mistakes he made."

"Did you forgive him, Karen?"

"Yes, I did." Karen replied. "We then admitted that we still loved each other."

"Karen, that's wonderful." Grace said.

"There's more. Before he sent me back to my body, Stan said that I had wonderful friends. He was right."

"Wow, Karen, I don't know what to say." Grace said slowly. She had taken a few more sips of brandy and then refilled her glass. "It sounds like you had a good marriage, unlike my own disaster."

"Grace, don't talk like that." Karen said as she refilled her own glass. "You were a great wife. Weren't you the one that always waited while Leo was off in some God forsaken country for weeks or months at a time. He was the one that didn't appreciate you."

"Karen, Doctors Without Borders is a good cause, and..." Grace began. She stopped and took a larger swig of her brandy.

"Maybe it is, Grace, but Leo should have been thinking about you as well." Karen pointed out. "Why did he bother marrying you if he knew he wasn't going to be around that much?"

"Well, I..." Grace began and then trailed off. She realized didn't have an answer for this question.

"Grace, Leo was the one that ruined the marriage, not you." Karen said. "He was the one that slept with another woman. You have nothing to beat yourself up over."

"Yes, but..." Grace began, but then suddenly burst into tears. "Oh, Karen, *sob* I tried so hard to make this marriage work! *sob* God knows I tried!"

"That's it, Grace." Karen said softly as she leaned over and wrapped her arms protectively around Grace. "Let it out, Grace, just let it all out." For the next half hour, Grace cried, releasing all the pent up emotions she had buried inside her since the divorce. All this time, Karen held her and gently stroked Grace's hair. Soon after, Grace's sobbing began to subside. "Do you feel better now?" Karen asked as she handed Grace a handkerchief.

"Yeah, I do. I guess I needed that good cry." Grace replied as she wiped her eyes and then blew her nose. "God, I'm a mess."

"No, you're not." Karen said softly. "You're a beautiful and wonderful person, Grace. Leo was a fool to hurt you the way he did. He doesn't deserve you, perhaps he never did." She looked into Grace's eyes. At that instant, Grace was not sure what prompted what happened next, perhaps it was the brandy, perhaps it was the emotions of the moment, perhaps both; however, Grace leaned forward and kissed Karen full on the lips. Karen was taken by surprise for a second or so, but then relaxed into the kiss. Suddenly, Grace broke the kiss and began to blush.

"I am so sorry, Karen!" Grace said with embarrassment. "I have no idea what came over me! Please forgive me."

"Forgive you? For what? That was nice, Grace, I liked it."

"You did?" Grace asked. "You mean you're not going to start making lesbian jokes on me, like you have in the past?"

"No, I'm not." Karen replied. "The truth is, Grace... The truth is..." she stopped, took a big swig of brandy, and then continued. "The truth is that I have feelings for you, Grace, feelings more than just friendship. I've had these feelings for a long time now, even before Stan died."

"Whoa!" Grace said, floored by what she had just heard. "Karen... I mean... I know you've dated women before, but... How come you've never mentioned this before?"

"Because I didn't know how to." Karen replied. "You're right, Grace, I have dated women in the past, but that was all those were, just dates. With you it's been different, I've sometimes thought what it would be like to be with you, Grace, to have a real romantic relationship with you."

"Karen, how long have you had these feelings about me?" Grace asked with curiosity.

"Do you remember the time you broke up with Nathan? You were so depressed that you couldn't get out of bed?"

"Yeah, I do." Grace said. "Not one of the happier moments of my life."

"Well, remember when I suggested that role playing and I played Nathan." Karen replied. "It got a little out of hand and we had that huge kiss. That's when it started for me, Grace. I liked how that kiss felt, although I didn't want to admit it at the time. That's when I began to wonder if we could have something more than just friendship."

"So all those cracks you've made over the years about me being a lesbian. What was all that about?" Grace asked.

"It was a sham." Karen replied as she took another sip of brandy. "A cover so I wouldn't have to face how I really felt about you. However, since my heart attack, I've been thinking about my life, reflecting on paths not taken, and I wondered what would happen if I told you the truth. These past six months have been hard for me, sharing a bed with you every night, being tempted by desire. Not that it matters much in the long run."

"Why not?" Grace asked.

"Because I know you can never return those feelings for me, Grace." Karen's eyes began to mist over as she said this.

"Who says I can't." Grace replied as she took Karen's hands in hers.

"Well, for one thing, you like men." Karen said sadly.

"Karen, my batting average with men has not been the best these past number of years." Grace said. "I'm not just talking about Leo, before him there was Nathan, and before him was Ben, Josh, Danny, you name it. None of those relationships worked for me, no matter how much I wanted them to."

"And?"

"Well, maybe it's time I took a new direction in my life." Grace said. "Explored new frontiers." Grace looked deep into Karen's eyes. "Besides, since the heart attack, you've changed, Karen. You've become much nicer, both in personality and in spirit. These past six months that you've been living with Will and me have been wonderful. Those new frontiers I mentioned a second ago, Karen, maybe I'd like to explore them with you."

"Oh, Grace..." Karen whispered and once again the two women found themselves kissing.

"So, Karen, would you like to go to bed now?" Grace asked, once the kiss had ended.

"Yes, Grace, I'd like that very much." Karen replied. The two women slowly stood up, and Karen took Grace's hands in her own and the two of them headed for Karen's bedroom.

The morning sun woke Grace and she opened her eyes and yawned. Turning to her left, she saw that Karen was already awake. "Good morning." Grace said softly.

"Good morning, Grace." Karen replied and snuggled closer. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, when we finally got to sleep." Grace said and then continued. "Uh, Karen, I was wondering how I... I mean... I've never made love to another woman before and..."

"You did fine, Grace." Karen said and ran a hand through Grace's hair. "I hope you're not having any regrets about last night."

"Not a one." Grace replied. "Last night was wonderful Karen, I haven't felt this happy in a long time now." She paused for a second and then said. "I love you, Karen."

"I love you too, Grace." Karen replied back and the two of them kissed tenderly.

A short while later, the two women were having breakfast. "I suppose we'll have to tell Will and Jack about us when we get back." Karen said.

"Well, I know Will won't freak out, but I can't say the same about Jack." Grace replied. "You know how he feels about women being intimate with one another. It repulses him." Grace shook her head. "I don't know what Jack's problem is with this, how can he be so closed minded?"

"Don't you worry about Jacky." Karen replied. "I can handle him."

"Yeah, I know he listens to you, Karen."

"Part of me still can't believe this has happened." Karen said as she reached over and took Grace's right hand in her own. "I'm afraid I'll wake up and all this will be a dream."

"It's real, Karen, trust me." Grace replied. "I guess I'll apologize in advance."

"Apologize? For what?"

"For all the mistakes I am going to make." said Grace. "This is my first romantic relationship with another woman, Karen. I'm scared I might... I might slip up somehow."

"Don't think of those things, Grace." Karen said. "We've both been through a lot in the past couple of years. That baby thing you and Will attempted, Stan's death, your divorce, my heart attack, but we made it, Grace. We survived. I know this relationship can work if we believe in it. That's all you need to do, Grace, is believe."

"You're right, Karen." Grace replied. "Maybe that was part of the reason some of my past relationships failed. I just didn't believe enough, I kept looking for flaws, no matter how small. It's time to leave that nitpicking part of me behind and start anew." The two women looked into each others eyes again. Neither needed to say it out loud, but a new era had now dawned for both of them.

On the following Monday, Will arrived home from work. He knew that Grace and Karen would be back by now and wanted to know how things went _I hope this weekend away helped Grace_. Will thought as he entered the apartment. Grace and Karen were already there, sitting on the couch, waiting for him. "So, how was Vermont?" Will asked.

"It was great." Grace replied. "Karen and I had a really good time."

"You can say that again." Karen added and giggled to herself.

"Huh?" Will said and then noticed something. "Uh, Grace, why are you and Karen holding hands?"

"Well, Will, the fact is that Karen and I are a couple now." Grace replied.

"I'm sorry, Grace, but there must be something wrong with my hearing." Will said as he shook his head. "It sounded like you just said that you are Karen are a couple!"

"Sheesh, Wilma, there is nothing wrong with your hearing, Grace and I are lovers!" Karen said, rolling her eyes.

"WHAT!?" Will exclaimed.

"It's true, Will." Grace said and went on to fill Will in on the events of the weekend.

"I need to sit down." Will said and sank into a nearby chair.

"Will, you are okay with this." Grace said. "Because Karen and I are happy together. In fact, I haven't felt this happy for ages."

"It's okay, Grace." Will said, having regained his composure. "You just took me by surprise, that's all. I was hoping this weekend would cheer you up, but this isn't exactly what I had in mind. However, if you're happy, Grace, then I'm happy for you."

"I'm glad to hear that." Grace replied and exchanged smiles with Karen.

"I can't wait to see Jack's face when he finds out about this." Will said and snickered.

"Did someone mention my name?" Jack said as he breezed into the apartment. He looked at Grace and Karen. "Too bad you two missed my show, I was a smash as Peter Pan!"

"Smash being a subjective term in this case." Will replied.

"Bleh!" Jack uttered as he stuck his tongue out at Will.

"Besides, Grace and Karen made their own magic this weekend." Will went on.

"Huh, what's going on?" Jack asked.

"Well, Poodle, it's this way." Karen replied and told Jack about her and Grace.

"Chastity Bono!" Jack exclaimed, once Karen had finished. "You and Grace are lesbians now!? Ew! Gag! Gag!"

"Jack..." Will began, but Karen cut him off.

"No, Will, let me handle this." Karen said. She got up, grabbed Jack by the right ear, and pulled him towards her and Grace's bedroom. "You and I are going to have a little talk, Jacky!"

"Ow! Karen, that hurts!" Jack protested.

"Looks like someone's gonna get a lecture." Will smirked.

"You can say that again." Grace replied. _Not that he doesn't deserve it. Who the hell does he think he is to judge us? I hope Karen can set him straight, no pun intended_! Grace thought.

"Sit!" Karen ordered Jack as soon as the two of them had entered the bedroom and Karen had closed the door. Jack sat down on the bed and watched as Karen folded her arms and stared at him. "Jack, you can't imagine how much you've disappointed me." she said.

"What do you mean?" Jack asked, still under Karen's withering stare. He began to feel like a naughty school boy having just been summoned to the Principal's Office.

"Do you remember when we went to that night club about a year ago?" Karen asked. "Do you remember when those two hoods began picking on you because you were gay? What was it they called you again? Oh, yes, Fag Boy, and other things I'd rather not mention. Remember how much that hurt, Jack? Because I could see the pain in your eyes that night."

"I remember it." Jack replied. "Although I'd rather not."

"Well, the way you were acting just now about me and Grace, you sounded just like those two guys."

"Karen, it's not the same at all." Jack protested.

"Isn't it? You're putting down a lifestyle that is not so different from your own, Jack." Karen pointed out. "Did you ever stop to think how hurtful your comments could be? I've known you a long time, Jack, and I thought you could be many things. However, a closed minded bigot is not one of them!"

"I'm not a... I'm not a bigot." Jack said slowly.

"Well, you could have fooled me." Karen replied. "Here is the bottom line, Jack. Grace and I are together now, and we hope to be for a long time to come. Either you get over this prejudice of yours and accept it, or..." she trailed off.

"Or?" Jack asked.

"Or I'm afraid I can't be your friend anymore." Karen said sadly.

"But... But..."

"No buts, Jack, I meant what I said, as much as it pains me." Karen replied. "So what's it going to be?"

"Aw, jeez." Jack said as he stared at the floor. He considered his options. _Either I try to accept this or I face a life without Karen's friendship. I have so few friends to begin with, I don't want to lose Karen. I'd miss her so much! Who else will take me shopping at Bloomingdale's? Karen has become a big part of my life, I don't want to lose her now_. Jack then continued. "Karen, there was a time when you probably wouldn't have cared so much about this. You've changed."

"That's true, Jack." Karen replied. "For a long time I took life for granted, I played fast and loose with my body and health, and it almost did me in. I've been given a second chance, Jack, and I am not going to throw it away. I have changed, Jack, and I hope you can too."

"Well, Kare." Jack said meekly. "For the sake of our friendship, I'll try to be a little more open minded."

"That's my Poodle." Karen said and began to smile. "I don't think I'm asking too much of you."

"No, I guess you're not." Jack said as he stuck out his hand. "Friends?"

"Friends." Karen replied as she took his hand in hers.

Will and Grace were still waiting in the living room when Karen and Jack emerged from the bedroom. "Everything okay now?" Grace asked.

"I think so." Karen replied and sat down on the couch next to Grace.

"Well, why don't I take us all out to dinner?" Will suggested. "To celebrate Grace and Karen getting together."

"I'd love to, Will." Jack said. "However, I'm a little short of funds now."

"No problem. I'll pay for you, Jacky." Karen said, smiling. "It won't be the first time and, hopefully, it won't be the last."

"Well, count me in then!" Jack said with enthusiasm.

"Well, let's be off then." Will said and the four friends headed out for a night on the town. None of them knew what the future would bring, but for now everything was okay.

**THE END**


End file.
